Investigators point to poor safety measures
Print Edition
CHINESE investigators faulted poor safety measures for the factory explosion in Kunshan on Saturday, with news reports yesterday revealing that workers had long complained of dangerous levels of dust and inadequate cleaning practices.
Metal dust produced from polishing steel wheel hubs is believed to have ignited on Saturday morning at the factory, causing the explosion, city officials said.
Workers had complained for years about layers of dust gathering on their work tables, and poor ventilation, according to media reports.
Jiangsu’s provincial government website said initial investigations indicated that the factory was at fault in the dust explosion. It did not list specific safety measures that were not followed.
A dust explosion is caused by the fast combustion of particles suspended in air in an enclosed space.
The particles could include dust or powdered metals such as aluminum.
They would have to come into contact with a spark such as fire, an overheated surface or electrical discharge from machinery.
Such explosions have been blamed for other deadly fires in China. In 2012, a dust explosion at an aluminum lock polishing workshop in the eastern city of Wenzhou killed 13 people and injured 15.
Three years earlier, aluminum powder exploded at an abandoned factory being rented out as temporary housing in the eastern city of Danyang, killing 11 people and injuring 20.
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